


Set Phasers to Incompetent

by artemismoon12



Category: CPCoulter's Dalton
Genre: Action, Adventure, Gays in Space AU, Gen, Outer Space, Sci Fi Creatures, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Scooby Doo Style Mysteries & Hijinks, Space Mercenaries - Freeform, alternate universe- science fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25236451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemismoon12/pseuds/artemismoon12
Summary: The Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters are a professional crew. Or rather, they are as professional as a former princess, a space witch, a sympathetic lizard, a heir-to-a-planet-destroying-corporation, and one mom friend can be. Which is to say? Not at all.
Relationships: The Serendipity Hill Hunters
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. In Soviet Space, Void Looks Back At You

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [you're gonna carry that weight.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25217500) by [senator_princess_general](https://archiveofourown.org/users/senator_princess_general/pseuds/senator_princess_general), [spaceprincess97](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceprincess97/pseuds/spaceprincess97). 



> My entry into the pantheon of Bridget & Annika's ~Gays in Space~ AU.

“We’re almost out of food!” Laura whined, pulling herself up the rungs of _The Grazer_ to where Sadie was in the observation deck. “I’m hungry!”

She’d been looking for Sadie all day. The twisted innards of the ship were one of the few things she adored about Dwight’s precious space craft, but it made it hard to just find someone. Rungs and heavy-grav chambers, connecting room to platform to deck in spirals of tunneled pathways; she’d spent the first day aboard simply climbing; six limbs flailing in the jungle of wires, bars, and metal branches. Dangerous but fascinating.

Lucas hated it. He kept begging to turn the gravity off, just so he wouldn’t have to climb upside down to get to the kitchen; but as the one with the most Earther ancestry, the rest out-voted him. Laura wouldn’t give the wild interior of the ship just to make things easy. If she wanted easy, she would have stayed in Marnamor, worn her veil, and married some nice Lord of whatever. Painful, but easy by comparison. If everyday wasn’t an adventure, what was she here for?

Sadie floated at the edge of the glass, watching the stars. She didn’t turn for Laura’s dramatic announcement, but acknowledged her presence anyways, waving her forward with a translucent hand. 

“That sounds like a problem.” Sadie agreed, her light eye tracing the sky; the other hidden under her hair and cloaked hood.

Laura frowned. “Just because you don’t eat like the rest of us, doesn’t mean _I_ don’t want to make a pit stop.”

“Laura, if you want to stop, ask Dwight. He should be at the helm now.” She said, far away. Her voice was soft. “Or Morgan, he always has extra food in his quarters.”

“Morgan only has his Basi food, and Dwight said we aren’t stopping for another two lightyears at least!” Laura complained, crossing both sets of arms. “He listens to you; can you ask him?”

Sadie didn’t answer, reaching out to space. She got like this sometimes, quiet and scary. Her hand phased through the glass to touch the rocky dust they were gliding through. Pulling back, she threw it to see it scatter in the air; dark, glittering dirt landing in a incomprehensive pattern on the floor. She frowned.

“We’re off course.”

“Are we now?”

Laura planted herself firmly next to their resident Void Whisperer. She didn’t understand what exactly it was Sadie did; it seemed like a lot of divining from nothing, but when she’d said that to Sadie, she’d simply agreed. That didn’t help.

Sadie nodded, floating across the observation deck to look over the back of the ship. A name Laura couldn’t understand “-told me there’s trouble four clicks away. We need to turn.”

“Is there food there?” Laura asked, perking up. A new adventure sent by whoever Sadie spoke with? That could be fun. New missions meant new planets, usually with folks who were all too grateful to feed and pay their winsome heroes. She hoped they had orvid berries, or apple tarts, or curried pidgereon!

Sadie paused, incorporeality causing her mouth to blink out for a second. “Yes. I think so.”

“Sweet! I’ll tell Dwight.” Laura declared, “I knew you’d be able to help!”

She kissed Sadie’s cheek, getting just air in her haste. Nevertheless, Laura didn’t let it discourage her; letting out a cheer before ducking down the hatch, back into the mess of wires and hand holds.

Sadie looked after her, worry on her features. She hoped this would end well.


	2. Murder on The Grazer Express (Figuratively)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters; they have a mission, if they choose to accept it.

The Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters were not a group to be easily pinned down. Their enemies would call them hired thugs, assassins or mercenaries for the highest bidder. Those they saved would call them heroes. Certainly, that’s how their self-proclaimed Captain saw them. But the fact remained, if there was trouble in the galaxy, they’d poke their nose into it, make a mess, and ultimately leave some good in their wake.

 _The Grazer_ was Dwight’s ship, a gift from his Uncle, his ticket to escape when things first hit the fan. He’d been forced off-world by the murder of his brother by the natives of the planet his father had been mining- and by mining, he meant destroying. Perry Enterprises was the leading planet harvesters in the Quin-Galaxies. Sucking planets dry, scraping their cores for minerals, and selling them to the highest bidder. Dwight’s father mourned Alan just as much; but when Perry insisted Dwight that he’d take over the same business which led their family into ruin? He couldn’t take it.

Lucas, his cousin, joined him; blowing up the mining equipment in their wake and picking up Sadie as they fled off world. It wouldn’t have been much of a world left anyways if Perry had his way. Two jumps later, they ran into Morgan, a Basi man, in the Deltraxx rouge’s bar where they’d gotten their first job. Two more jumps, and they’d formed a proper crew.

Lucas and Dwight were the only members of the crew with Earther heritage, though their ancestors had married enough off-world species that they’d stand a foot above a regular Earther crowd; with stretched back ears from the Yesnen clan their great-grandmother had married into. 

Still, they would not get the stares Morgan would, his delicate scales smoothing to skin around his hands; and a thick tail he draped over his arm when they ended up in polite company. Nor Laura’s extra arms as the rebel princess of Marnamorian royal family; though her dark skin and blue eyes were pretty enough. Sadie, if dressed in her cloaks, could pass as a quiet human; but her species had already been gaseous based, and choosing to heed the Void’s call left her forever changed.

So it often fell to Lucas to be their ambassador; the first contact with any species they came across. Earthers spread across the universe like mosquitos, ubiquitous and irritating, but ultimately, unavoidable. It would have been Dwight, but for all he said he was a captain, he had little to no tact in dealing with new species; often launching right into asking where the monsters were, and how he could destroy them. Morgan’d hiss swears behind his hand, and Laura would laugh; but it left Lucas with cleaning up their mess with his liaison skills.

Amongst the crew it was no different, Lucas the caretaker to the idiots who ran about _The Grazer_ and it’s mechanisms; nigh impossible to keep them all on task at once.

“Dwight! Laura! We’ll get nowhere unless one of you stops it, and then we’ll have to let Morgan fly!”

Morgan grinned at the immediate cease to the bickering. Laura and Dwight looked at Lucas with abject horror.

“You wouldn’t.” She shook a finger at him, rearranging the sheer scarves that nearly fell off her neck from reeling back. “I want to live dammit!”

Dwight took a more dramatic stance, grasping the pilot’s chair like a lifeline, shoving Laura and anyone else who was nearby away with his feet. “Never again; one asteroid field is enough Luke! Do you think kinetic shields just grow on trees!? Replacing one nearly killed me, even with Sadie helping!”

Lucas smiled, “Okay, now that you’re listening. I have the course Morgan and I planned out. We’ll input it into the mainframe, and we can use autopilot until we get to Canto II’s outer fringe. Is that okay with you?”

The pair nodded, reluctantly taking their places back around the cockpit as Lucas pushed Dwight aside to type in the coordinates. It took them around a few harsher planets, but with Morgan’s eye for directions, they would be relatively unharmed until they reached the place Sadie had seen in the dark matter.

“I don’t get why you’re always in charge of the missions.” Laura said under her breath; standing beside Dwight as Lucas worked.

Dwight glared at her, “I’m the Captain, that’s why.”

“You’re barely a captain. More like Pilot with a hero complex.” She sniped back.

“And you’re a spoiled brat; you keep whining about a pit stop for snacks instead of just accepting what we have. Just because it’s not a five course meal in a palace-”

“Oh you! I know you were some pampered rich kid too. You don’t get to pull that shit with me, you reaper-”

“Reaper!” Dwight exclaimed.

Morgan shot them a look, smacking Dwight over the head with his tail. “Shut up. If the two of you don’t stop arguing, one day you’ll get us all killed. Grow up.”

“Here I long for the simple days when we’d all just shoot the bad guys and collect the loot.” Lucas sighed, unfortunately growing numb to Dwight and Laura’s sniping. One of them always had to poke at the other, somehow never getting bored of their arguments.

“How are you two even friends?” Sadie asked, drifting in and out of the ceiling.

“It’s a mystery to me.” Laura said, her lower hands on her hips, the uppers crossed against her chests.

“Guys!” Lucas said, exasperated. He finished typing the coordinates in and stood up. Without prompting he gathered Dwight and Laura in a hug and let out a deep breath. “You two are going to give each other one compliment right now.”

Dwight squirmed under his cousin’s arm, Laura protested as well, but Lucas held them firm. “No buts. Or I’m putting you both in the lockup.”

Dwight grumbled, “You’re good at multitasking.”

“Is that an arm joke?”

“No!” Dwight blanched, “I really mean it.”

“Oh okay,” she said, thinking for a moment. “I guess you’re the best pilot we have. Even if you insist on playing that stupid classical music.”

“Laura!” Lucas warned, tightening his embrace. “That was mean.”

Morgan couldn’t help but giggle. Floating by his shoulder watching the trio, Sadie joined him. It wasn’t often Lucas had to break out the hug of shame.

“Fine, fine!” Laura relented, “Best pilot, full stop. You happy Lucas?”

“Very.” He said, pleased with the softened hostilities. “Now you can kiss and make up.”

The two grimaced, wriggling harder to get away. “Can we just shake on it?”

Lucas laughed, “Whatever works.”

They shook hands, retreating to their own seats in the cockpit as soon as Lucas let go. It was a swift shift from joking nonsense to their planning meeting.

Sadie started them off, relaying what she’d heard from the dark matter beings. She powered up the crystals in her gauntlets, shining the hologram approximating the planet they’d be travelling to. It shone a bright green in the cockpit, illuminating the walls in bright neon.

“They said it was a sick place. In the southern hemisphere, two ley lines west of the Festina Mountains. I saw silver pins, a sparking crackle, and great beasts through the fog.” She said, pointing to the space on the globe. “We will need to be alert, but I don’t think it’s beyond us.”

“Of course it’s not. We fought the musi veneum in Hepalon V- and that was like facing a figurative plague and a literal horde of giant, demonic rats.” Morgan said, leaning forward in his chair, tail lain across his lap. He’d already dug up the charts on the Festina Mountains. It was an arid climate, dry and stormy; they might have to face a sandstorm, but from all accounts it was the mild season.

“Giant, demonic rats who could teleport.” Laura groaned. “Fuck, I never want to see even a mouse for like, a year!”

Sadie snapped her fingers and the hologram shifted. Laura swore at the bright green musi which leapt around the room.

“Cut that out!” Dwight waved his hands about. “No one needs a reminder!”

Sadie snickered and changed the image back; ignoring Laura’s steady stream of cursing.

“As I was saying, there’s something wrong there.” Sadie said, “It’s certainly a job for the Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters.”

“If it’s a big nasty beast we’ll get them.” Dwight promised. “Morgan and I can fix the busted blasters so everyone will have at least two on them at all times. Sadie, do your crystals need an update?”

Sadie turned her wrists about, inspecting the gems which connected the powers of the void to the physical plane. “I don’t think so. None are cloudy yet. I can replace them myself though.”

“I’ll need the leveling on my anti-grav boots re-calibrated.” Laura volunteered. “They’re still a little wobbly after we crossed paths with that guy with one arm.”

“You wanted to challenge him to a dance off- you were drunk, it was your fault.” Dwight rolled his eyes. “I thought I taught you how to re-calibrate them yourself.”

“I forgot okay?” Laura said indignantly.

Lucas stood up, “Sounds like you can all do repair work before we get there then! My equipment is still good, so Sadie, can you help me in the kitchen? I’ll make us all something before we get there.”

“Sure.” Sadie said, phasing through the floor ahead of him.

Lucas sighed, “Here I am taking the long way like an idiot.”

“It builds character.” “Makes you stronger.” “Gotta exercise somehow.” The three left in the cockpit said over top of one another.

Lucas looked back, unimpressed. “You’re menaces, the lot of you.”

“But you love us.” Morgan said, tapping his goggles with a grin.

Lucas groaned; leaving them to their nonsense. He didn’t deny it though.


	3. 3000 Units Isn't Enough for Chicken Nuggets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunters land on Canto II, meet the locals, and learn what the problem is.

The group crossed into Canto II airspace without issue. They were waved through after a quick certification run. One of these days they’d get infamous enough to fail those passes and have to get creative; but until then they were safe from the laser grids and immobilization of inter-planetary border guards.

The Festina Mountains were easy enough to navigate. Lucas’ overland speeder was quick to sail over scrub bush, rubble, and detris left by the trucks which drove through the dry, overworked soil. Laura sniffed, displeased with the destruction of the landscape but not everywhere could be as lush and green as her home. Morgan in particular, didn’t have the heart to tell her that Marnamor had plenty of places that looked like this. 

There was marks of recent soil transfer; pits in the earth where patches of soil had been gouged and sprayed across the land. Rusted, torn wires and twisted chain link was scattered amongst the debris; but paled in comparison to the towering, brand new electric fences set up everywhere. They seemed to hold as well as they could, judging by the marks left by whatever was roaming the area. “Beware the Beast” was spray-painted on metal sheeting lining the hilly roadway; if it needed to be more obvious.

The familiar beeping of the navigations alerted them that they had arrived at their destination. Lucas had contacted the town before they’d entered the planet’s atmosphere, so they were expected. Finding town hall was easy; avoiding stares was hard.

Most underfunded planets in this quad-section of the galaxy were single intelligent-species planets, mostly primate-adjacent; but even more so in rural areas where they didn’t even meet other species outside of films or pictures. The stares of the townsfolks, roughly dressed and wary, were hard to bear. Sadie floated by a scared-looking man, trying to ignore the suspicious looks her half-corporeal limbs got. Laura, Dwight and Lucas, while strange, got less unusual looks than the stares directed at Morgan’s swishing, scaled tail. 

“Oh, you most be the Heliosphere Hunters!” A voice sounded, accented with a rough undulation of the local affectation. Down the steps of the large building labeled ‘Town Hall’ came a large man with a green and white mayoral sash. His green-and-red variegated eyes scanned the Hunters, smiling widely at the group. “We’ve been expecting you! You must be Lucas Walters, we spoke on Holonet.”

Lucas matched the man’s warm salute; smiling back, grateful for someone who was glad they were here. “Pleased to meet you Mayor Jorven. We heard there was trouble and couldn’t just ignore the signs.”

Mayor Jorven nodded. “Yes, such terrible times we live in that we cannot defend our own as well as we would like. But still, you’re here now, and we can rest easy knowing such heroes are on the case.”

“I wouldn’t call us heroes.” Lucas said, blushing at the compliment even as Dwight and Laura preened (then noticed one another and switched to scowling).

“Oh but you are. I heard all about Hepalon V; what a case. What a save!” The mayor’s voice wavered even as it was full of cheer. “Come in and I’ll brief you on the situation. And what a situation it is!”

They followed the Mayor up the steps, eager to leave the townsfolks behind them. While they didn’t seem outright hostile; it was better to not leave any opening for criticism when they had just arrived.

He led them into his office, chairs already waiting for them. It was a humming office; filled with expensive devices all whirring with mysterious purposes; silver beepers, iron robotics with blue lights, and gold-plated screens with the news scrolling along them.

“Sit down, sit down please.” Mayor Jorven invited, gesturing to the Hunters. Catching Morgan’s looks at the devices he smiled, “Ah yes, those are just some trinkets. I own the electronics dealership in town. It’s made me a fair amount of money, but not even my sonic disruptors can fend the beasts off! I have been working hard to make sure everyone in town is outfitted with a security system and electric fence, but it’s not enough!”

“What exactly are these beasts?” Dwight asked, fingers twitching, eager to get to hunting. Laura and Sadie could see the list of possible creatures it could be flicking through Dwight’s mind. Sadie already had a sense, but she’d rather hear it from the Mayor.

“Giga Bisons unfortunately.” The Mayor said mournfully.

“Those are herbivores though.” Lucas said, confused.

Giga Bison had been bred for quick plowing and milk products; easily four times larger than any Earther Bison. They were peaceful creatures, even their tusks were just for mating dances rather than fighting. To imagine them being the animals which created the gouges they saw on their way into town? It was worrisome.

“What could be causing the Giga Bison to act like this? They’re… well, sweethearts usually.” Lucas asked. Dwight nodded in agreement.

The Mayor threw up his hands. “I wish I knew. I can only think that once the farming in this area dried up, they had to adapt. We haven’t had a good farm crop in decades. I think it was only inevitable they turned carnivorous.”

“Carnivorous?” Laura asked, astonished. “A Giga Bison? So, they’ve been eating people?”

“And livestock.” The Mayor confirmed. “We lost two citizens and four goats to these beasts. It’s a desperate situation. I can try to help people feel safe with my systems, but the populace is uneasy. They’re a nasty lot these Giga Bison. I can only hope you kids can cut the beasts down to size.”

Dwight stood up, back in leader mode: “We’ll do it Mayor. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Those Giga Bison shouldn’t trouble you anymore once we’re done with them.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Like we can’t handle a bunch of cuddly cows. We’ll be done by the end of the day, tops.”

Morgan cleared his throat, brown scales glinting with the light off the devices on the walls. “What my teammates mean to say, is that for the standard Hunters fee, we’ll be happy to rid you of your pest problem.”

“Ah yes!” The Mayor said with a strained smile. “I don’t know if our town budget can afford you.”

Lucas glanced around at the gold-plated mechanics on the wall. “Well, we have a rather good track record with this kind of thing. It would be our pleasure. But you understand… 3,000 Units is fairly standard for this kind of work.”

“Standard huh?” The Mayor asked. “Oh, you kids better be good.”

Sadie’s eyes flashed, dark stars behind her irises before blinking back to normal. “We are.”

The Mayor, spooked, nodded. “Ah yes. Standard fee then. Uh, let my assistant show you the contract.”

“Thank you.” Lucas said, smiling and shaking the Mayor’s hand quickly. “We’ll check in after we find the herd. It should be an easy enough gig.”

The Mayor offered more platitudes as he walked them out. Laura snorted dismissively after he and his assistant had kicked them out of the building.

“Heroes huh? And we’re barely making minimum wage for this shit? It better be an easy job. Cheapsake.” She crossed her arms, shaking her head.

“I’m sure he could pay it, but the town can’t.” Sadie pointed out the dilapidated buildings around the Town Hall. “It’s a sorry state if this is what Giga Bison of all things have done to the town.”

Dwight strode on ahead, Lucas as his side. “Let’s get moving team! Don’t worry about the money. We’ve got a town to save from flesh-eating bison! We can’t let these people down.”

“Damn straight.” Morgan agreed, playfully tripping Laura up as they hurried after their not-so-fearless leader.

Sadie brought up the rear, still looking curiously around; not sure if all was at it seemed.


	4. I Fought the Law and the Law Won (Because the Law is actually a Flesh-Eating Bison)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunters have their first encounter with the Giga Bison; leaving them worse for wear.

“Let’s split up crew and look for clues.”

“That is the stupidest thing you’ve said yet.”

“Guys! Guys! Calm down!” Lucas said, putting himself between Dwight and Laura before a fight broke out.

The outskirts of town was a dusty wasteland. It seemed unnaturally still, no animals moving in the underbrush. Gnarled trees curled leafless across the horizon, punctuated by dust clouds and poofs of arid soil under their boots. If it wasn’t cliché, a tumbleweed scurrying across would not have felt out of place.

“Maybe we shouldn’t split up where there are giant monsters on the loose. Just a thought.” Morgan called, sunning himself on the back of the overland speeder. He was taking in what little was left of the early evening sun before night came and he lost the energy to go on.

Lucas had driven them out to where a couple of locals said they’d encountered the Giga Bison. How you could miss a twenty-ton beast when there was clear space as far as you could see was a mystery to the Hunters.

“I think it would be sensible to cover more ground as a group-” Dwight started, only to have Laura interrupt him.

“Yeah, and leave us unprotected while you try to play the hero? No thank you!” Laura had one pair of fists on her hips, the other fixing her royal blue scarves around her face, protecting her face from the dust they were kicking up.

“Will you stop undermining me? Morgan agrees with you, okay?” Dwight said, pulling out his blaster to re-calibrate its settings for dealing with larger targets. “I get it, you don’t want to face one of these things alone. Message received. Jeez.”

Sadie floated over to Laura before she said anything else, struggling to maintain a solid hand in order to touch Laura’s shoulder. She shook her head, motioning maybe she could stop. Laura wasn’t happy about it, but dropped the issue as Morgan and Lucas took over with Dwight to planning a route they’d take on foot to track the gouges the Giga Bison had left.

It was already easy to tell the Bison had been there. The townsfolk had told them exactly where the bones of a goat had been left; picked clean and left to bleach in the sun.

Laura kicked the bones with her boot. “I still don’t get how a simple Giga Bison could do this. I don’t think just an ecological change would do this. Hell, Morgan, just because there aren’t any bugs on the ship doesn’t mean you’d start eating us right?”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Morgan grinned, jokingly. Laura raised her eyebrows. Sure.

Lucas knelt down to the bones, tracing the horn of the goat with large morals marks on the skull. “It is weird. But whatever is causing it can’t be solved until we find them.”

“But I don’t see anything around here.” Laura said, turning around to scan the horizon. “Just more dust storms.”

Dwight paused, taking in her words. “Morgan, status on that dust cloud at 5 o’clock?”

Morgan looked up, turning on the magnifier in his goggles and looking towards the dust cloud mentioned. “Well, I think we found the Bison.”

“Ready team?” Dwight asked, powering up his blaster in tandem with Laura. Lucas’ hyper-shield and blaster hummed to life; followed by Morgan’s omni-staves and Sadie’s gauntlets. The group turned towards the dust cloud, moving to the side of their vehicle; not wanting it to get trampled by the Bison.

They were huge; descriptions of their size did not do them justice. Nearly two stories tall, weighing in at several tons, the Giga Bison were hairy, tusked beasts; leaving deep impressions of their hooves which thundered towards the Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters at an alarming pace. Dark brown coats were caked with dust, mud, and blood; leaving one wondering as they bore down on the group, if it was just the colour they were, or the colour they had acquired.

Dwight barked orders; the v-formation they favoured taking shape. It was easy to see as they approached how the dozen Bison could be confused for a dust cloud with how much they kicked up around them.

“Ready!” Dwight yelled, bracing himself. “Steady! Evade!”

The Bison didn’t hit them; they hit first. The four land-bound Hunters dodged the herd, hopping onto legs or sides of Bison, not letting themselves be trampled. Sadie on the other hand, flew up to throw black ropes of darkness around the first Bison, sending it crashing to the ground and tripping the other leads of the herds.

A sharp hum filled the air; whirring as the Giga Bison wrapped in Sadie’s trap roared. Thick tusks tried to tear the ropes, but found it useless. Maybe it was a mistake, but the felled animals flashed dark eyes, matching the enraged roar in turn.

Lucas tensed, clambering up the side of his Bison with difficulty, avoiding the humming, silver mass in the hair, to try and mount the creature. He could see Dwight already bringing two down, blaster set to the highest setting; Morgan had easily scurried up the side of his, confusing it by knocking his tail between its ears before stunning it with his omni-staves. The Bison they had tripped were easy fodder for Laura to bring down another two; but even with almost half taken out, the rest of the herd bore down hard in retaliation.

Crazed roars filled the air, hooves smashing down as Laura dodged between their hooves. Sadie threw up a void chasm under the creature’s feet but cursed as she had to close it before Laura was knocked in.

“Laura! Mount up or move out! I’m trying to banish them!” She yelled over the chaotic scene, trying to multitask.

“No, I’ve got it! Try to down another!” Laura called back, sliding between the legs of one to yank its tail, sending Dwight, who was on its back bucked off; with only a quick twist to save him from hitting the ground full force.

Lucas watched before stunning the Bison under him, diving into the fray to grab Dwight off the ground. His cousin was already on his feet though, chasing her with his blaster cocked and ready: “Laura! Watch out! It’s the Bull!”

“I’ve got it!” Laura called, skidding in front of the largest bison ready to pull the trigger.

Dwight leaped over the bound Bison and aimed right alongside her, “No, you’ll need more firepower!”

“Oh screw off!” Laura turned her head just a touch to yell at him; pulling the trigger and missing.

Lucas’ eyes widened, “Get down! Both of you!”

The bull charged; almost on top of the pair, too close to get out of the way even if they did fell the gigantic creature. Lucas cursed, pushing them both out of the way and onto the hairy mass Sadie was containing.

In saving them from one trampling; Laura and Dwight’s shots went wide, red blasts going wild into the air. Almost hitting Sadie, she dodged, shrieking and losing hold of the bound Bison. The hum intensified; dark energy dissolving around the beast as it roared, rearing up and shaking the three Hunters off its side.

“Move!” Lucas shouted.

“No! We’ve got it point blank!” Dwight pressed his blaster against the thing’s hide; but Laura tried to mimic the move, “No, I’ve got it point blank!”

Both were cut off as Lucas cried out in pain; the angry Bison catching him with it’s tusk, on the offensive against the three Hunters around it’s hooves.

“Lucas!” Sadie’s voice was frantic. She phased through one Bison, motioning Morgan with her before throwing her hands out. The Bison was swallowed by a void pocket, disappearing from existence with its bloody tusks and gnashing teeth.

“Get him into the speeder! We need a doctor now!” Morgan called, already darting across the dirt to the speeder; more Bison appearing in the distance, drawn by the calls of their kind.

Sadie’s hands moved uselessly, flickering in and out of corporal form. It had been a lot of energy in one move to just summon a void pocket, and now she didn’t have enough to make a sling for Lucas. “Laura, Dwight, get him up. Laura, your scarf, it’ll stop the bleeding.”

It might be sentimental, but the scarves were all that was left of Laura’s royal veils from her princess days. But with Lucas on the ground, hurt because of her mistake, there was no question but to ruin them. 

Dwight hoisted Lucas up; Laura and him supporting his weight between them, Laura’s second hands pressing the fine gauzy fabric against his side. The guilty look shared by the two Hunters was more acknowledgement than they needed.

Morgan pulled the speeder right in front of them; pulling them in just in time to avoid the kick of a hoof from another Giga Bison who hadn’t been subject to the swift blaster moves of the Hunters. It was a close call; the roars only barely dulling behind them as they out-ran the creatures on their trail. It was their only advantage, that speeders could not slow as living creatures could.

Sadie barely kept in the speeder, slipping in and out of the seats with as much concentration as she could muster. She kept repeating instructions to Dwight; focusing on Lucas and Laura kept pressure. Lucas tried to counter that he was fine; but none of them let him speak as he needed to save his strength.

They had lost this round; but they wouldn’t be defeated. Not with the anger Dwight had brewing, or what that mechanical hum was, out in the middle of nowhere.


	5. Canto II Was Rooting For You, Canto II Was All Rooting For You!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas is injured, Sadie is mad, and Dwight and Laura must listen.

“How dare you!”

The accusation cut deep. Dwight and Laura winced as Morgan wiped Lucas’ brow. The clinic on the outskirts of town helped them readily enough, even if the girl at the desk shrieked at the first glance of blood.

Now that a nurse was looking over the worst of Lucas’ injuries; Sadie felt safe enough to let them have it.

“I don’t care if you have any excuses for this. Even if you did, none of them would be acceptable.” Sadie waved her hand at them, eyes glittering and empty in anger. “You didn’t look out for one another, instead trying to showboat on playing hero- and who got caught in the crossfire? Not you or Laura, but Lucas! Who was trying to help you two fools!”

Lucas tried to get up, argue he wasn’t even unconscious, but the dark gaze Sadie shot at him had Morgan helping him back down to the bed. The nurse agreed, avoiding any eye contact with the floating void mistress. It was a bad sign when all you could see of the void mistress was all above the waist. She wasn’t at floating head status, which was usually when they knew to run.

“You were irresponsible and reckless.” Sadie finished, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Dwight and Laura caught each other’s glance.

“Um, he started it?”

“Only because you goaded me-”

“Seriously?” Sadie cut through before they could begin bickering again. “No apologies to the teammate you hurt?”

Laura ducked her head. “Lucas knows we didn’t want him hurt. Right Lucas?”

“Sadie, I think you’re being too harsh.” Lucas said, magnanimous as always, even with an omnitool poking into his shoulder where the Giga Bison has gored him. “It was an accident.”

“In the middle of combat.” Morgan pointed out, brushing Lucas’ hair back again. “Sadie’s right; we have to be able to rely on each other, not pick fights over whose blaster is the biggest.”

Laura wrinkled her nose, “That’s not what this is about.”

“Isn’t it?” Morgan asked, turning back to the nurse stitching Lucas up. “So it won’t happen again is what I’m hearing.”

“If you two can’t grow up, I will personally send you to my other friends- and they’re not nearly as kind as I am.” Sadie said, leveling the disaster duo with a firm look and a crackle of power from her gauntlets. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal.” Dwight squeaked, knowing more than he ever needed to know about Sadie’s ‘other friends’ from their first voyage off world years ago.

Laura however, she’d never seen Sadie at full communing mode, so she merely shrugged. It was as close to an acknowledgement of wrongdoing as they were going to get for now. Sadie could only accept it, and float back over to Lucas, calm enough to reform a connection to gravity.

“Will it scar?” Lucas asked, knowing he was already out of the worst of it.

The nurse hummed under her breath, the green glow of the omni tool sending stitches of light into the wound and tying his shoulder together better than any thread. “Not unless you scratch at it.”

“Oh he won’t.” Morgan assured the nurse. “He’s the best patient you’d ever ask for.”

“Unlike you?” Lucas smiled. “I seem to remember you punched a doctor back on Veta-“

“They didn’t understand my tail was supposed to be grey! I was halfway through a shed! You don’t pick at a shed, you just let it happen!” Morgan said, humour lacing his voice; dearly sought between the group after a swift defeat at the hands of the Giga Bison.

“Well, don’t go punching me now, or you’ll get a cuff right back.” The nurse muttered, rolling her eyes at the two of them. Sadie hid a laugh, glad the nurse wasn’t taking her teammates’ nonsense. She still gave a wary look at Morgan’s tail, but seemed to have enough self pride to hold herself a little straighter after the complaints about their previous run ins with medical staff.

Lucas jolted. “Ow!”

The nurse pulled back before Lucas was even done jerking away from her grip. The light on the omnitool flashes red and sputtered out. The last of Lucas’ wound was sealed, but with a small round burn mark.

“It’s this post market crap.” She said, getting up and smacking the tool against her hand. “But it’s the only shit you can get out here without taking a speeder to the next city. Sorry lov’, that’ll sting something fierce for the next few minutes.”

“You were using a faulty tool on him?” Laura reared up, ready to tear into the nurse before Sadie was shoving her back down; willing to listen to the irritated nurse. Lucas certainty wasn’t too worried. Things had been fine up until an obvious malfunction.

“There’s only one electronics dealer in town. But the mayor’s only ever been good at mind chips- like those mood modulators for depression- but lords of the warp, he couldn’t fish out a good battery from a pile of hay even if it was driving a current right into his skull.” She explained, popping open the butt of the tool and sliding the fried battery out and into the chute by the table for waste. “If you’d had a head wound I could have just popped over to the shops and gotten you a pain suppressor, we’d be right as the dust rolls.”

Laura’s eyes narrowed, lost in thought. “Yeah, that would be something wouldn’t it. Good thing he has anything at all for you at all.”

“It costs more to get to the city; we can’t all afford galaxy traversing ships like you fancy Heliosphere Hunters.” The nurse said before pausing. “Costs more now, what with the demand for electric fences and shock sensors. Its only a matter of time until those Giga Bison come for the clinic.”

The nurse abandoned the tool in favour of some of the ointments from the cupboards, adding a burn cream to the old-faithful fix-it gel which Laura could run _The Grazer_ through a whole tube of in one particularly rowdy day.

“We’re not going to let that happen.” Lucas said solemnly, cutting Laura off. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

“Nothing a good round of blaster fire won’t solve.” Dwight said, perking up a bit at the chance to wax poetic about the heroics of hunting.

Morgan rolled his eyes, “Humanoids and their toys. The art of diplomacy is lost on you all.”

“There’s no arguing with a ten-ton beastie.” The nurse warned the five of them. “I don’t know what happened to them, but anything that’s got those sweet things turning blood thirsty? Well, sometimes they just need to be put down.”

“If it comes to that.” Laura said, thought still tinging her words. Hands clasped together, looking around the room at the sparse supplies and sparser beds. “Hopefully we’ll won’t see you again.”

The nurse said; laying on the bandage with a flourish. “If you listen to that floaty witch of yours, the lot of you will hopefully never grace my beds ever again.”

“Here’s to hoping.” Dwight said miserably, knowing it might not come true.


	6. (Looks at Giga Bison) Is This a Plot Device?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters regroup and report to the Mayor; the team notes they're missing some information.

Mayor Jorven’s face was placid in its concern when the Hunters reconvened in his office. They recounted the encounter with the Giga Bison, Lucas’ injury featuring as it was hard to miss with the bandages still wrapped over it.

“I sure hope this dangerous spell we’ve been having isn’t contagious to you kids.” He bemoaned, adjusting his mayoral sash so it still reflected light off its gold letters even when seated. The tale finished, he leant back into his chair with a sigh. “What bad luck.”

“There’s something about these Giga Bison, something that made them act this way. It seems too strange for the herbivores to suddenly just want to attack people.” Morgan said, concern in his tone.

He was right. The whole group still lingered on it. It wasn’t natural for the Bison to be acting this way.

“It has to be something beyond the food shortage. Can you think of anything else that could cause the Bison to act this way? Maybe someone was hunting them? Did someone from the town disrupt their habitat?” Sadie asked, “You’re the mayor, you should know something.”

“Would if I could.” The Mayor said. “I do have some hope though, my new security systems are arrive tomorrow. Enough electricity in a single charge to kill a Bison with a single touch. Maybe we won’t need you Hunters to fix the problem after all.”

“That’s just a bandage on the solution.” Lucas pointed out. “You can sell the town enough wires to kill them, but if this starts happening to other wild life? You won’t be able to protect everyone.”

“Well, that’s why everyone will protect themselves. Sonic disruptors like this don’t grow on trees.” The Mayor assured them. “They just need more layers of protection.”

Laura and Dwight alike looked suspicious; even though Dwight usually perked up at the mere mention of protective measures. It was like any concern he’d shown before was swept away to capitalize on the misfortune of the town.

“Indulge us, please. It’ll be easier for you in the long run if these things aren’t just killed, but thoughally fixed.” Lucas said, easy going smile on his face.

The Mayor considered. “Well, if you really want to… the nest is four miles outside of town. My secretary can draw you a map. I didn’t want to send you there before because it’s a fairly dangerous area with all of them gathered. But, if you insist…”

“We do.” Dwight said firmly.

“I doubt after your first run in that you Hunters can fix it. It seems rather hopeless.” The Mayor said, ignoring Dwight’s glowering look. “I’ll get you that map if you wish to injure more of your team. That soft-hearted nature towards bloodthirsty easts will get you all killed.”

“In our experience, there’s always more to the story sir.” Lucas said.

The group allowed the Mayor to stand up, beckoning his secretary from the open office door to get them the requested information. The coordinates were easy enough to follow, uploaded with a touch of a key from the young secretary’s eBoard to Morgan’s data collector. He thanked her, pretending to be ignorant of the wary glance she gave the room.

“Well, I should let you all get back to your duties. I myself have my own duties- this town doesn’t run itself.” He said jovially, clapping Lucas on the arm with a hearty farewell as the Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters set to depart. “Good luck with those animals out there. It’ll almost make you lose your mind how fast they are.”

“It was a stumbling block, we’ll handle it.” Laura said coldly. The Mayor was grating on her last nerve, going from condescending to simply dismissive in a few sentences. Sadie passed a hand through Laura’s shoulder, light and chilling to get her to back off. They had a job to do, and if the Mayor was worried they’d succeed and he’d have to pay them their units, well then it would simply be more satisfying to prove him wrong.

“Thank you for your time Mayor Jorven. We’ll be back with answers.” Dwight promised, stiff and determined.

The Mayor kept his smile unfaltering. “Oh I’m sure you will.”

The stand off ended when the secretary hurried Mayor Jorven into another room for a meeting, and the Hunters were left with the whirling electronics and a sense that there was a clue they hadn’t yet found. Or at least, a clue that didn’t make sense yet.

“I don’t like this Dwight.” Morgan commented, letting their leader take them out of Town Hall; bringing up the rear to close the door with his tail. Dwight was already talking about how they’d take the nest. “Lucas already got hurt. If the town is using electric fences of that magnitude, maybe we should wait and treat this like a siege?”

Laura disagreed. “Something’s fishy. You said it yourself. And we don’t have to try to blow up the nest or anything, but wouldn’t it be good for us to see how they are if we could sneak up on them? They can’t be running around at full speed the entire time. They’d wear themselves out.”

“If we could get the element of surprise, Sadie could certainly work her void pockets a little better.” Dwight said thoughtfully.

The townspeople gave them a wide berth, especially when Sadie floated by with her frown.

“I’m wonderful with my void pockets. You simply got in the way with your insistence to beat each other silly.” Sadie said, addressing both Dwight and Laura alike. “I hope you two can keep it together for us to figure this out as a team.”

“Yes ma’am.” Dwight and Laura chorused, Dwight with a groan and Laura with a sarcastic grin.

“And don’t you forget it.” Sadie said, calming slightly. “Lucas, do you think you’re up to go for it again so soon?”

“Well we kind of have to, can’t we? If the Mayor’s security systems don’t work, well its not like the townsfolks will be alive to buy more will they? I’d rather be the one to get hurt than any of them.” Lucas shrugged.

“And there you go again,” Morgan sighed, hands up as if resigned and miserable even as his tone gave away his laugh, “Giving me hope again that Earthers aren’t completely useless as a species.”

“We have our moments.” Lucas smiled.

“So tonight?” Dwight interrupted.

“Tonight.” The rest confirmed.

And that was that.


	7. Lucas Are You Okay? (Bangs Pot Lid in Background)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunters approach the nest, hopeful to find an end to the town's problems.

The Serendipity Heliosphere Hunters set off the next morning. The light had barely stared to crawl across the planet’s surface before the quintet were off to the Giga Bison nest. This time, they set out with more information. They’d wished they’d had before wandering without direction on the edge of town. Morgan drove, the silence between the others uncomfortable.

Laura in particular was lost in thought, seemingly oblivious to Dwight’s usual mutterings of plans for what they’d do when they reached this particular baddie’s lair. Usually she’d be poking holes in his plans, needling him for better solutions which sometimes didn’t exist. Instead she stared off into the arid horizon, picking at the seams in her blaster.

“Laura? You okay?” Lucas asked, turning to her.

She frowned. “Why didn’t the mayor tell us about the nest when we first arrived?”

“Maybe he was worried we’d be biting off more than we could chew?” Lucas suggested. “there is supposed to be a whole herd of flesh-eating bison, probably with their young there.”

“So, after one of us gets hurt, then he directs us to them?” Laura pointed out quietly. “Something isn’t right.”

“Maybe, but maybe he sees there is danger no matter where we go? Kind of part of the life as a hunter I guess?” He smiled good naturedly, coaxing one from her as well. “We’re almost there anyways. Lighten up, you always love a good fight.”

“Yeah.” She agreed.

Sadie glanced at the two of them for a moment before going back to listening to Dwight’s quiet plans. Morgan ignored both pairs, focusing on the terrain he drove their overland speeder.

They reached the nest under the first stretches of morning, light pink and gold patterning the shallow pond about fifty Giga Bison gathered around. There was a grove of gnarled, thirsty trees as faint shelter for the young bison amongst their number. Sadie and Lucas cooed at the young ones, gentle and calm under their parents’ protection.

“They don’t even seem dangerous. Maybe that herd was a rouge group?” Morgan asked, hiding behind a rocky crag.

Laura nodded. “They’re so quiet. I don’t feel good about killing baby bison- it might be just an adult thing? Maybe the herd has nothing to do with the nest group?”

“No, they’re the same.” Dwight interrupted. “See, that’s the Bull that got Lucas.”

The group followed Dwight’s outstretched finger to the largest of them, cleaner than they’d seen the previous day as the Giga Bison splashed in the tiny pond, but still with the marks of blasters and a rusty brown shadow on it’s tusk.

Lucas flinched. “Yeah, that’s it. But how is it so calm now?”

“I don’t know, but we have the element of surprise. We have to strike before they destroy the town for good.” Dwight said confidently, powering up his blaster with a mechanical whirl.

“There’s something weird going on.” Morgan cautioned, but he sighed as the others already swept out in front of him, hiding behind dust clouds and scrubby vegetation.

Sadie phased out, her fingers fading from sight as they approached. An electronic hum rose in the air, intensifying as they approached. Morgan shot her a look before the voices in her ear whispered warning.

_dOwN_

She flew over to the others and flattened Laura to the ground just as the nearest Bison reared. They’d been spotted, and the Bison rushed forward, eyes filled with danger.

“Front one! Take it down, trip the others. If we fan out we can corral them!” Dwight yelled, Laura for one taking his advice and firing her dual blasters at their hooves. Her second hands were pressed to the ground, keeping out of the eyeline of the Bison.

Drawing her gauntlets up, Sadie tried to call a rope of darkness around the herd, shoving them in closer together. It took concentration she didn’t have, but as a Bison passed through her with a crackle of electricity, she tried harder.

Morgan ducked under the legs of one, leaping up and stunning the creature with his staves. The creature roared as it went down, Morgan’s omni-staves clutched tight in case it got back up. But there was no time to breathe, the herd was still around them.

He turned, looking for Lucas to take out another together, but he was thrown backwards. The blow to his head setting his ears ringing and scattering loose scales. Morgan wiped away the trickle of blood to see Lucas above him, rearing back his shield to slam it down on Morgan.

“Lucas! What are you doing?” Morgan shouted, scrambling backwards and swiping out Lucas’s legs with his tail. The others didn’t notice, caught up in their own commotion.

Lucas got up, dodging the bison rampaging around them to take another swing at Morgan. His movements were stiff, running on pure instinct without the intelligence he usually had with his strikes. Morgan tried to see who was closest, who could help. He griped his staves and flicked the electricity down a notch, hoping he wouldn’t have to hurt his friend.

“Lucas, snap out of it! What’s going on?” Morgan tried again, blocking a blow and pushing the taller guy over again. “Laura! Sadie! Dwight! I need some help over here!”

Laura and Dwight were once again squabbling about who was taking out more bison until they heard Morgan shouting. Laura stopped, a trickle of panic entering her throat. Dwight choked, seeing the blood on Morgan’s face and the murder in Lucas’ eyes.

“Truce?” Laura managed.

Dwight dragged her after him, out of the path of the nearest bison stampeding. “Truce.”

Pride set aside; it took seconds they didn’t know they needed to spare to tackle Lucas to the ground before he shoved his energy shield through Morgan.

“Stun him!” Laura ordered.

“Low setting, we have to get him out of here!” Dwight continued, the two of them struggling to control Lucas and drag him into the bushes. Lucas, who had always been the strongest of the group, was proving difficult even between the six hands clamping down on him.

Sadie kept the bulk of the bison busy ripping small holes for them to trip over, conserving her energy.

Morgan gulped, turning the settings on his staves down to minimum- praying Lucas would forgive him. The wail of electronics rippled through the air when they touched skin. Lucas screamed, continuting to thrash and lash out at them. Morgan stopped, Dwight and him looking at each other in panic.

Laura’s hands scrabbled over Lucas’ skin, searching for something the other two couldn’t see. They held Lucas down, worried about causing him more pain. Lucas tried to rear up to bite Dwight, and they almost lost their grip on him; until he slacked, suddenly, and fell across the ground in a heap.

A humming silver device, thinner than a needle but with a round silver pin top, was pinched triumphantly between Laura’s fingers. She had pulled it from Lucas’ arm, and its control over him had ceased entirely. His breathing was low but even, the shock rendering him unconscious.

“I knew it. This is what’s causing the bison to destroy things. That’s the noise, the feedback. They’re being controlled.” Laura accounted, holding up the pin.

Dwight’s eyes widened before going stone cold, “And who do we know who is the major electronic dealer in town?”

Morgan let out a breath, “Specializing in mind modulators?”

“The Mayor!” They chorused, Laura taking the lead. “He must have thought we were getting too close, so he pinned Lucas in hopes we’d all get trampled.”

“So the Bison aren’t evil? They’re just- oh no.” Morgan looked up, but Dwight was already standing to bark orders.

“Sadie! They’ve been chipped! Silver pin, in the fur! We have to get them all out!” Dwight turned to the rest. “Morgan, coordinate with Sadie; keep them distracted. Laura, you and me will go for the pins directly. We’ll cover each other until every bison is cured.”

“Setting blasters to stun captain?” Laura’s smile was cheeky.

“Setting blasters to incompetent if we don’t get this figured fast.” Dwight rolled his eyes, shoving the two forward, “Now move!”

The two groups wove between the bison like threads, tying the bison up between them. Morgan and Sadie moved on ground and air, her opening up rifts with her wrist guards to catch the Bison’s hooves so Morgan could scrabble in their fur to pull the silver, humming device out. He swatted them back down with his tail, careful to avoid hurting them too much.

Laura let out a war cry, drawing attention to herself; just for Dwight to duck up behind her and stun the bison from under her arms when it was distracted. The pair then jumped up, removing the pin and leaving the sleeping giant where it lay.

If she saw another glint of silver, Sadie would point it out from the air; voice travelling over the field.

“One more, behind you Dwight!” Sadie yelled, letting a rift go from another saved bison.

“Got it!” Laura yelled. Dwight boosted her into a jump, grabbing at a pair of Bison at once, gripping fur while pulling out pins at the same time. He ran forward to catch her again before they fell, leaping out of the way together. 

In the end, they were left with a field of sleeping or groggy bison, and a handful of silver pins. The feedback they made when all together in a handful was unbearable; Sadie vanished them into a void pocket until they needed them again.

Regrouping, panting from the ordeal, the four sat around Lucas, who was regaining consciousness bit by bit. The electronic blowback didn’t seem to have any ill effects. A baby bison, unpinned from the start, licked at Morgan’s hand; letting Morgan pet it with trust in its watery brown eyes. 

“Thank goodness they’re all okay.” Morgan said, relieved. “You too Lucas. That was scary for a minute.”

“Glad to know I rank above the wildlife buddy.” Lucas said, sitting up with a tired smile.

Sadie and Laura looked to Dwight, the brooding expression on his face spelling trouble.

“What are you thinking Dwight?” Sadie asked quietly.

“The bison may be okay. But the Mayor won’t be.”

Laura smiled darkly. “I couldn’t agree more.”


End file.
